Uber Eyes E-Scooter Start-Ups Bird and Lime to Expand its Urban Mobility Options
*By Carlo Versano*
Uber is sniffing around a possible acquisition of either Lime or Bird, the leaders in the growing e-scooter rental market, according to a [report](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/uber-exploring-deal-to-buy-bird-or-lime) in The Information. One of the reporters who broke that story told Cheddar on Monday that there is a "growing realization" among ridehailing companies that bike and scooters will continue to be a significant part of the urban mobility landscape.
Uber's ultimate target is "going to come down to price," said The Information's Cory Weinberg.
Both Uber and rival Lyft bought their own bikeshare operators this year ー Uber acquired Jump and Lyft now owns the Citibike-parent Motivate, making it the largest bikeshare in the country.
As for scooters, Uber already has a minority stake in Lime and started renting scooters through its app this summer.
Lyft has also started rolling out scooter rentals in cities including Denver and Washington, D.C, and is expected to expand Lyft-branded scooters under the Motivate umbrella.
Uber is also familiar with the operations and executive teams of both Bird and Lime, according to Weinberg. "They certainly know both of these companies really well." In fact, Bird is even run by a former Uber and Lyft executive, Travis VanderZanden.
Uber's desire to acquire a scooter start-up may also point to a reality of business for the ridehailing company: its U.S. growth has begun to slow, and the scooter space is growing rapidly.
One thing all these transportation companies have in common: they are burning through cash as they build out infrastructure and operations. If Bird or Lime is open to an acquisition, it would raise questions about whether they have hit speed bumps in their financing efforts, Weinberg said. For now, Bird's CEO has said the company is not for sale.
For the consumer, the endgame seems increasingly likely to be a "bundled services" model, Weinberg said, where Uber and Lyft have "multi-modal" apps, in which users can book a car, a bike, or a scooter, all from the same interface ー and maybe even get rewarded for using certain options. Customers getting a credit on a Lyft ride for regularly using a Citibike doesn't seem hard to imagine as the mobility wars evolve.
"Whatever Uber has, Lyft will try to match," said Weinberg. "Which will all be good for consumers."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/uber-looks-to-acquire-bird-or-lime).
President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" bill could mean cheaper electric bicycles and scooters as the nation attempts to shift away from gas-powered cars. Noa Banayan, the director of federal affairs at PeopleForBikes, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to provide some background on the E-Bike Act included in Biden's reconciliation bill that would provide tax credits for qualified purchases. "We want to make sure, from the bike industry's perspective, that this is a technology and a product that is available to the majority of Americans who want to lower their carbon footprint and get around town faster and do everything that they would normally do in a short car trip but by bike, because it's healthier, it's fast, it's efficient, you're not in traffic," she said.
It's being called the next big trend in crypto. A decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, is an internet community of different types of groups and businesses. The purpose is to allow people to commit funds to a specific cause in a safe way. Now, one social platform is creating a do-it-yourself kit for those who want to step into the space. Upstream Collective just launched the beta mode of its platform with the goal of putting all facets of running a DAO in one place. Alex Taub, co-founder and CEO of Upstream, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
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President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. will tap into its strategic oil reserve in coordination with other nations and release 50 million barrels in an effort to lower energy prices.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Yair Nechmad, Nayax CEO, discusses the future of cashless payments, and how cashless payments give retailers a competitive edge and allow merchants to scale business; Jason Thomas, Global CEO of Tappit, breaks down how the pandemic accelerated the transition to cash-free live events, and why that trend is here to stay; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Steam's 'Blockchain Revolution.'
Not long ago, banning cash at a large public event would have been seen as a crazy idea that would deter sales. But our cash-free future is getting closer with the use of contactless payments being implemented in sports venues, music festivals, concerts, and more. Jason Thomas, Global CEO of Tappit, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down how the pandemic accelerated the transition to cash-free live events, and why that trend is here to stay.
Yair Nechmad, Nayax CEO, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the future of cashless payments, and how cashless payments give retailers a competitive edge and allow merchants to scale business.
